Within and Without the New Games
by HPJamesBond
Summary: The Capitol has taken back control over the Districts, 22 years later. 5 Hunger Games after that first one since the Capitol took power again, it is time for the 82nd HG! A girl with eyes the shade no one has seen before is found unconscious in the District 12 woods no one knows anything about her; including the girl herself! She is reaped a month later in the Games. Can she win?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. I only own the characters that you do not recognize from the original book series.**

* * *

Running. This girl was running for her life. She looked back every few seconds or so just to make sure that they were no where near her. The girl was out of breath, sweaty from running for almost two hours; and she was a quick runner. No one ever had caught her before and she wasn't about to make this the first time. And although she was sweating, she felt as cold as ever because she wasn't wearing heavy outerwear. All this girl has were grey cargo pants, that weren't form fitting, but weren't loose enough to call baggy' black combat boots that laced up mid-shin; and a loose black v-neck. Sure, they were warm, but only where she was from. It became drastically colder as she ran farther and farther.

She knew that she wasn't going to make it much farther if she was to only run in the woods with no food, weapons or water; just the clothes she had on her back. But she had to keep running. She just _had_ to.

_What they are doing is wrong!_ she thought to herself furiously as she ran, swerved small animals, jumped over logs, dodged trees, and swung from vines. _They have _no_ right to do this!_ _I _will_ get away! I _won't_ let them turn me into one of them! At least...not completely._

The girl that was medium height for her age looked back and gasped. They were nearing! She could see their large vehicles flatten any small, crushable object or living thing in sight! She turned around a second too late to see a tree right in her peripheral vision. She crashed into the tree with a _smack_ and collapsed to the ground. She tried to will herself to get up, but she just couldn't do it. She felt her head spinning and pounding into her brain. The pain was just unbearable. She saw blips of black appear in her vision and soon they were dots and streaks of it. She felt her eyelids and lashes droop, more and more until darkness filled her mind.

* * *

Ero Katon was the never the "It" boy in school. He had his two best friends that he always hung out with and clasped each other's backs during the Reapings, praying that none of them would get picked. Fortunately, none of them did. Unfortunately though, only one of them live din District Twelve, the other one lived in District Four with his parents and sister. And when the Reaping was over, year after year, he and everyone else in District Twelve would go back to the way things were. Ero Katon was never the one that any girl would flirt with, but the one they would come to for advice if they ever had boyfriend trouble because he was known to be the "sweet" and "caring" guy. Another reason that he was never asked out was because he apparently "wasn't attractive enough," one of his best friends joked, and the other reason was that he always turned the girls down when he _did_ get asked out. And when his best friend asked why he had always turned down girls, he always replied, "I have a girlfriend." His best friend and everyone else at school never believed him, but he always stuck to that story.

Until the day that Fex Hawthorne visited with her sister and parents from District Two. Not a lot of people ever visited other districts because _A)_ you were only allowed to visit districts for a short period of time, and _B)_ the only people in districts that were allowed to visit other districts or the Capitol were very important people and families of those people such as Hunger Games victors and their families and friends. And Fex Hawthorne and her family were known as very important people, due to being from a richer, career district, and the fact that her father is Gale Hawthorne, the best friend to Katniss Mellark, one of the only victors in District Twelve and the face of the rebellion. Katniss Mellark was also very well liked by the Capitol citizens, one of the most well-liked victors as side from her husband, being one-half of the ever-so-famous, star-crossed lovers from District Twelve. So it wasn't much of a surprise when a person from a richer district visited, but it was a surprise to everyone at District Twelve's school when that girl walked right up to Ero during lunch, despite not being a student there, and running into his welcoming arms, kissing him passionately. Everyone's jaws dropped when they saw it and all Ero did was turn to his best friend, Jedidiah Carr, and say, "I told you I had a girlfriend from District Two." No one would've spared a second glance at the girl called Fex because she looked just like her father with her dark hair and grey eyes that make her look she could be related to Ero and be from the Seam But the fact that no one had ever seen her around school before made them look twice.

Though, like Fex, other girls didn't think he was "not attractive enough" though. Ero Katon was one of the people you could obviously tell was from the Seam because he had pitch black hair that, despite being from the Seam, was cut and cropped short his bangs only covering about a 1/4 an inch of his forehead. He had such grey eyes that you would have to be an idiot to mistake them for another colour. Ero Katon was very tall for his age when he was younger, always has been, but he finally had stopped growing at age seventeen and now, two years later, he was still 6 ft. 2 in. tall. His build was between an average build and a strong build, having been training and hunting to provide for himself all of his life.

His parents had died right after his first Reaping because Ero had refused to show up for it, and even though he was not picked, it angered the Capitol enough to take away his parents and he never saw them again. He hunted for his own food in the forest, his choice of weapon being a halberd and traps. He lived in the Seam, despite being offered by Jedidiah's parents, Fex's best friend, Nellia Mellark (another friend of Ero) 's parents, Katniss Everdeen Mellark and Peeta Mellark (being close with both families due to his friendships with their kids) to live with either of their families, but Ero felt that it would be intruding if he did that, so, from the ages of 12 to 18, Ero Katon lived in his late parents' house, living off of the animals he had caught and in Katniss and Peeta Mellark's family-owned bakery until this year when he could finally get a job as a coal minor like almost every male does in the Seam in District Twelve once they are old enough.

So that is what he was doing in the forest; outside of the wired, electrical fence that was the boundary line of Panem. He was hunting for fun after a long, hard day of coal mining. Normally Jedidiah would join him, setting traps and snares, spearing squirrels with his sharp spear that was his grandfather's, but today Ero was alone because Mr. and Mrs. Carr, Jedidiah's parents, weren't coal minders, but they were one of the few families with a little extra money in District Twelve because they separated the coal into packages and sealed them, waiting to be shipped off to the Capitol and other Districts.

Ero had just caught a particularly big and hearty rabbit and killed it with his halberd. He heard a rustling in the leaves and he whipped around, weapon at the ready. That was when he saw it. No, not it. _Her._ His eyes were lying upon a girl who couldn't be possible older than twelve. She had a full mane of black hair. Or was it brown? He couldn't tell; he was just so shaken up by the sight of a random unconscious girl that he couldn't concentrate. Anyway, this girl's hair came down to her waist, but it was a little hard to tell because she was on the ground so it slanted a little. It had a slight wave to it, but for the most part it was straight. He would've thought she was from the Seam as well, but for one, he had never seen her around before, and two, her skin was pale, not a sickly pale, but a natural, creamy pale that no one from the Seam could have because they all had an olive skin tone, or at least something close to it. She also looked a little small and petite, from the looks of it, about 5 feet tall, Ero observed. She may have been unconscious, but she looked like she was twitching slightly, like she was shivering. Ero also saw that she didn't really have the proper clothing for District Twelve, a colder district. She only had on cargo pants, combat boots and a slightly loose t-shirt. She wasn't even wearing a jacket and once he saw that she wasn't wearing the proper outerwear, then he decided to step forward, slowly and cautiously. As he looked over her body for injuries, he noticed a long scar running down the whole right side of her face, making her porcelain skin look slightly broken. She still didn't move when he inspected her, but he checked her pulse and it was still there, beating a half a beat more rapidly than a normal person should and he didn't know what to say about that. She was sweating a cold sweat, looking like she was slightly ill. He shook her arm, trying to get her to wake, but no luck. He ponders over leaving her there, but something about her, maybe it is the way she looks so innocent when she is unconscious, that makes him rethink it and he eventually settles on bringing her back to his house, so, placing his halberd in one arm, he carries her cradle style, all the way back to the Seam, never mind the rabbit he had just caught.

Luckily, being as early as it was in the morning, no one in District Twelve was near being up yet. Not having any free hands when he got to his home, he had to struggle to open the door with his hand while trying to be careful not to drop her and then kicked the old, rickety door open with his foot, stepping inside. He set her down on the small loveseat sofa where her twitching was now on a rhythmic pattern. He walked into the small, rusty kitchen and took out a small towel, dampened it with water, and rung it out over the water bucket. He brought it over to the couch in the tiny living room and sat on a stool that was between the fireplace and the couch where the girl was laying on. He dabbed the mini towel on her forehead as she twitched, and soon after, her cold sweat evaporated and she looked almost normal, if it weren't for the twitching and irregular heart beat.

About an hour later, her eyes began to squint and flutter. She woke from her unconscious state with a jerk, still twitching slightly and screamed inaudibly. The girl quickly sat up and looked around the room anxiously.

She muttered something that he could not hear.

"What?" Ero asked her, not hearing what she had said.

The girl didn't answer and continued muttering things to herself in a dead language that he could not understand. Her body was still slightly twitching and she was fiddling with her hands. She finally looked up hesitantly like speaking to people was not a regular occurrence for her and Ero was shocked to see the colour of her eyes. This girl's eyes weren't a colour he had ever seen ever seen belong to a person in _any_ of the districts, nor the Capitol, real or fake. He hadn't even ever _heard_ of this colour of eyes. This girl's eyes was a deep indigo colour, a cross between sapphire blue and royal purple. They were illuminating and hard not to stare at because they were just so unique. Once he snapped out of his pondering over the colour of her eyes, he asked her, "What is your name?"

The girl was about to answer, but stopped herself with a look of genuine confusion. "I...I don't know," she answered very quietly, almost inaudible and clearly surprised herself that she doesn't know. "I cannot seem to remember anything," she continued, putting her hands to her forehead.

"How do you not know?" Ero questioned.

She didn't answer and was looking straight forward and seemed to be nervous to look at him, as if human interaction was not a every day occurrence for her.

"Look," Ero began, trying to calm the girl down from her mad state and but didn't seem to be succeeding. Her twitch was only a little noticeable now, but her hands were still fiddling with each other as if there was something missing in between them that she normally had. "I was hunting in the forest and I saw you; passed out on the ground covered in leaves. I couldn't just leave you there. You were sweating a cold sweat, but I luckily brought your temperature down when I brought you to my home, here in the Seam," Ero explained.

"What District are you from?!" Ero asked her quietly.

The girl towards him hesitantly with a blank look on her face, clearly not knowing what he was talking about.

Ero looked at her incredulously. "You're kidding me."

She shook her head.

"The Districts in Panem," he said. Still no lightbulb. "The country," he continued, trying to get her to have a light bulb go off in her head. "Where we all live in." Her face was still as blank as ever.

"You don't even know what Panem is?"

She shook her head.

"So you don't remember even one little thing about you or your life?" he asked, starting to believe her that she doesn't know who she is. When he asked her any question, she looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

She shook her head again, too uncomfortable in this situation to speak.

"That means you don't know where you live or who your parents are. So I guess returning you to your parents is out of the question," Ero said, pacing back and forth in the living room while the girl just sat there. "And I can't just throw you out on the streets," he continued. "You'll be murdered, or raped, or starve to death." He then stops pacing and looks to her. "Would you like to live here?"

The girl widened her eyes in shock, obviously surprised that he had offered to let her live with him. "You are serious?"

Ero nodded, smiling slightly for the first time since he had found her unconscious in the woods. Her shyness was endearing. In a little sister way. _Not_ in a romantic way. He had a girlfriend whom he loved very much and he would not give up for the world. But he had always wanted a little sibling, and even though his friends had younger siblings that were kind of like siblings to him, he had always wanted his own. "So would you?"

The small, dark-haired girl nodded eagerly and then caught herself and then blushed at her reaction. But Ero just chuckled and walked forward a step, holding his hands out. "Let's get you some warmer clothing," he suggested and the girl just looked at his hands as if saying, _What am I suppose to do with these? _After the girl stared at them in confusion for a couple of moments, Ero cleared his throat and dropped his hands.

He turned and walked down the small hallway. The girl, not knowing what to do, follows him with tiny steps until Ero stopped at a door that was a of couple of doors down on the left. He placed his hand on the doorknob, but noticeably hesitated before turning the knob. Well, noticeable to the girl at least. Ero then opened the door and stepped inside, gesturing the girl to follow. She walked in as well and looked around the room. It appeared to be a bedroom, but it looked like it not been occupied for years. There was dust on the furniture and the curtains were closed, unlike every other room in that she had been in so far so she knew that Ero had not been in the room in a while. On one of the walls was a bed, bigger than standard size so the girl assumed it used to be the bedroom of two people, rather than one. Ero slowly opened the curtains and swiped the dust off of the furniture quickly with a rag left in the room.

He then turned to her after staring at the room uncomfortably and said, "This will be your room. There are already pillows and blanket here as you can see and tomorrow we will have to get you some more clothes to wear other than the ones you are wearing right now. One of my friends who is a girl is only a couple of years older than you so you can have some of her clothes from when she was younger." He suddenly got nervous when he asked the next question and the girl couldn't imagine why. "I don't suppose you know how old you are?"

The girl shook her head.

"Oh jeez. There is only one way to find out how old you are," Ero said. Ero then continued with silent encouragement from the girl. "We have to bring to the Mayor of the District Twelve and he has to give you a medical test, similar to a pregnancy test and that tells your approximate age. Let's just hope you aren't old enough to..." Ero trailed off.

The girl looked at him in confusion. She wondered quietly, "Old enough to what?"

Ero looked up at her and it looked like he was just in deep thought about something. "We will cross that bridge when we get to it."

"C'mon," Ero told her as he passed her when he walked out of the bedroom, the girl following. "Let's get you into some warmer clothes and then we can take you to the mayor's."

The girl didn't protest, but didn't respond either; only following him out of the house, shutting the door behind him.

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**Hello! I have begun to write this story and I hope you enjoy it so far!**

**PLEASE READ!: I am not going to update on a schedule or weekly and crap because if I don't finish a chapter in a week, I feel like I am letting you and myself down. So I will post when I can!**

**Thank you and I hope that you will check in with this story again!**

**ANOTHER NOTE!: I have kept characters such as Finnick Odair, and Peeta's brothers alive in the story. It is just how I want it. If you do not like it then, I am sorry. ****A****lso, Finnick's son is the same age as Katniss and Peeta's daughter. Just pretend that Annie wasn't pregnant until Katniss was as well. **

**That is the wonderfulness that people like to call Fan Fiction!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger games; only the people that you do not recognize from the original series.**

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The girl looked around uncomfortably and nervously as she and Ero walked down the dirt road in District Twelve. Even though Ero had said that no one was going to be up a this early in the morning, she couldn't help but be even more nervous. _What if someone saw her and knew that she didn't belong there? Would she be accepted or arrested?_ The girl didn't know. All she knew was that she wanted to be okay and get her memories back.

Soon enough, they had stopped outside of a gigantic house surrounded by eleven others just like it that was so lavish and sleek on the outside that the girl could not imagine what it would look like on the inside. The girl was confused though as to why only twelve of the homes in District Twelve looked so nice which ten of them didn't even look occupied, when the rest of the other homes in the District looked like they were all chipped and broken, especially the ones on the edge of District Twelve, also known as the Seam.

Ero and the girl walked up the steps of the modern house then he took out a small key ring with only one key on it and slid the key into the lock. He turned the key and the girl heard a loud, distinct, clicking sound as it happened. The girl shook her head slightly at the noise and noticed that was not the only thing that was ringing in her ear as loud as a siren. She heard the very loud chirping of the birds from very far away (well, loud to her) that a normal person would only hear faintly. She heard the creaking of some mattress springs while someone was sleeping in a house that the average person would not be able to hear at all; and it really started to freak her out, but she didn't bother Ero with it.

They both stepped inside the house and Ero looked around carefully before calling out to the air, "Nellia?"

It only took that one call before a girl about Ero's age, maybe a year or two younger, walked around the corner in only a loose, thin, white button down shirt that went down mid-thigh with crinkled eyebrows but when she saw Ero, her face split into a grin and she ran towards Ero, her arms wide open and embracing them into Ero's arms. The girl who must be Nellia had dark hair that went down to just below her chest and came down in tight waves that looked like it was just taken out of a braid. She had baby blue eyes that had a caring sense to them. The girl noted that she was beautiful , but the girl noticed how Nellia didn't flaunt it, just by the way she walked. She was thin like it was a family trait and not like Ero because even though he had hard, noticeable muscles from working in the mines, hunting all of his life and spending a majority of his meals with his friends and their families, Ero was always on the thin side. "Ero!" she exclaimed when she pulled away. "I haven't seen you in months!"

"Well you told me that you would be back today, but it seems as if you didn't come home alone," Ero said pointedly, looking at the shirt that she was wearing.

Nellia blushed and said, "Mom didn't want me coming back alone and Finn volunteered to stay with me until Mom, Dad and my brother get back from the Capitol. Dad wasn't too happy about the arrangement, but couldn't say no."

"Where is Finnick anyway?" Ero asked her.

"Just getting out of the shower," Nellia said, blushing even more.

Right on cue, a man about Ero's age and height (which was pretty tall) came from around the corner, a towel wrapped around his waist. His bronze was slightly damp from the shower and it shined because of the natural light shining through the sun roof. He had sea green eyes and tan skin that you could only get from hours in the sun. He had a muscular and athletic build and a smile that the girl assumed that if he flashed in front of girls, he must've had a lot of admirers. The girl couldn't deny that the man was beyond handsome, but it didn't effect her like it probably effected a lot of the girls in District 12.

"Ero!" the man called with a bright smile as he walked over. "We were just coming over to see you once we got ready!"

"Well I was coming over because I kind of got myself a new friend here," Ero said and glanced at the small girl who was just watching their previous exchange quietly.

Nellia, just noticing the girl for the first time, walked over to her with a smile and bent down to her level. "Hello," she said warmly. "I am Nellia Mellark. What is your name?"

The girl just looked over at Ero, not knowing what to say.

Luckily for the girl, Ero answered for her. He cleared his throat awkwardly, catching the attention of Finnick and Nellia. "You see, that's the problem. I found her unconscious in the woods and when she woke up, she didn't remember anything about herself. She didn't even know what the Districts or even what _Panem_ is! And I know that she is not from District Twelve so finding her parents is out of the question!" Ero then took a deep breath and collected himself from that rant. "So I offered to let her live with me. She has no where to go and she seems so nice and innocent. I wasn't going to let her go out on the streets. Not in District Twelve." He gestured to the girl's face who had no idea what was going on.

Finnick then walked up to the girl himself, stood next to Nellia, putting an arm around her waist. A softer, warmer smile graced his face. "Hello there. I am Finnick Odair Jr."

The girl cautiously shook his hand and drew it away quickly. She nodded in acknowledgment.

Nellia then turned back to Ero and asked, "Do you know how old she is?"

Ero shook his head. "That is what I was going to find out after I came here. I was going to the mayor to that age test, But another problem is that she doesn't have any other clothes. I know your mom always made you keep your old clothes so I thought maybe she could borrow some of yours that are about her size." He looked at Nellia hopefully and then at the girl. She looked so lost, so innocent, like a hurt puppy. He felt that maybe once he got her talking, she would be a good companion, housemate, and even a friend.

"You can have any of my clothes that fits. I really won't use them and the Capitol sends me new ones every month," Nellia offered and reached her hand out for the girl to take. "C'mon. I'll take you to my closet. I have a lot of clothes for you that are your size."

The girl looked at Ero again for another answer. She seemed to do that a lot. Well she didn't know anyone but him and she was beginning to trust him because he hasn't killed her yet, so that was comforting to her. Ero nodded and then the girl turned back to Nellia. She hesitantly took her hand and was led out of the large foyer, down the hallway and out of sight of the two young men.

Finnick turned to Ero as they watched the two dark haired females from the foyer as they walked into Nellia's bedroom. "She looks so young," he comments. "I wonder if she could be older. By the way she walks, she looks mature, but innocent, so she could be any age."

"I just hope that she isn't old enough to get reaped," Ero remarked as well.

"We all don't want another Mesa; no matter how much the odds are in our family's favor," Finnick continued.

"Neither do I, Finn. Neither do I."

* * *

Right away when they had got to her closet, Nellia was picking clothes that looked too small for herself and piled them in heaps. The girl had never seen so many pieces of clothes in her life! Then again, she couldn't compare it to anything since she didn't remember anything about herself. Despite that, she was still amazed. Nellia was picking out dark colored shirts, light colored shirts, pants, a couple of dresses, jackets, sweaters and socks. Each time that Nellia would run out of the closet with a new piece of clothing, she would wordlessly bring it up to the girl as if that would be her right size or color. Either her face would light up, or it would droop and she would run back inside the closet, repeating this action. The girl didn't know what to do, so she just stood there.

Soon enough, the girl had a full new wardrobe and both her and Ero couldn't be more appreciative. After about a half-an-hour of conversing and joking with Finnick and Nellia, Ero took the girl back home to put away her new clothes and then to the center of District 12 where the mayor's office was located.

Ero knocked cautiously on the door, the girl hiding behind him in fear. Ero smiled encouragingly at the girl, and she straightened a little at his warm, small smile but didn't come out from behind him. _Well, it's a start_, Ero thought and turned back to the double doors. A tall man in an expensive Capitol suit and a permanent scowl on his face then came out of the building and looked at the two people. "State your name and business," the man said.

"Ero Katon and..." Ero glanced at the girl and back to the man, not knowing what to call her. "...and friend. Requesting meeting with Mayor Blackberry."

"Let me check to see if he has any other appointments," the man said, taking out clipboard from behind his back and flipping over the top page. He looked back at the two and smiled evilly and uncomforting. "Well it is your lucky day," the man said. "The Mayor has no other appointments." The man opened the glass double doors and stepped aside. "Go ahead in."

Ero and the girl shuffled in hurriedly, not getting quite a good vibe from the man. When they got to the door labeled _Mayor Ritty Blackberry's Office,_ the door swung open to Ero and the girl's surprise. They didn't even knock on the door yet. A medium height man, a little shorter than Ero, emerged from it, with a straight, but not stern or intimidating look on his face. His hair was graying, but his eyes, which were a light amber, were kinder and warmer. "My guard tells me that you wish to speak to me," the Mayor said.

"Yes, I do," Ero nodded his head. "We have an issue," he continued and then glanced down at the mildly twitching girl again and then back up. "I found this girl, shivering with a fever, unconscious in the woods and when she woke up after I brought her back to my home in the seem, her memory of herself and everything involving Panem has disappeared. I wish to take responsibility for the girl and supply the needs of her in any way possible, but since we do not know her age, you need to give her the test, if possible."

"Of course," Mayor Blackberry said, his mouth turning up slowly at its corners. Ero half-smiled gratefully as the mayor of District Twelve stepped aside and let the dark haired boy and girl to enter his office. The girl stayed behind Ero the whole time as this happened and let her petrified look show.

"It's okay," Ero bent down and whispered in her ear. "You'll be fine. You're safe with me."

The mayor shut the door and walked to behind his expensive desk, sitting down in the chair behind the desk. "I shall call for the healers to evaluate her growth rate and physical attributions to determine her age." The mayor then pressed a button on an intercom system and held it down. He spoke into it, "Have Healers Shest and Clay come down to my office immediately."

Several minutes later, after much awkward silence waiting, and little twitches and jerks on the small indigo eyed girl's part, a middle aged man and woman walked into the room, the woman carrying some sort of hand-held machine with a handle and screen in one hand, and a clipboard in the other. The man on the other hand was carrying a tape measure and a portable scale that the girl guessed determined your body weight. The Mayor looked at the healers who were waiting in front of the door for instructions and pointed to the girl. They immediately rushed over to her and she recoiled when the man reached out with the tape measure.

"It's okay. They are not going to hurt you," Ero said with an encouraging smile.

The man reached out to put the tape measure around her waist and this time, but still cautiously, she let him do it. He looked at the number, wrote it down and with no emotion what-so-ever, the man and the woman continued to measure her head, chest, arms, legs and overall height. "Stand still," the man instructed sternly as he measured her arm width. The girl was twitching almost unnoticeably, but it was noticeable when someone was trying to get you to stand still. "She can't," Er told him. The man groaned in frustration, but kept on measuring her. They took a prick of her blood from her finger which the girl jumped at and started twitching more noticeable, but calmed down a few minutes later. They also made her step on the scale and this time they showed a flicker of emotion. It was surprise, but the girl only just caught it. It was masked a second later. The last thing they did was using the portable machine was the handle, it shot out some kind of red laser that they dragged it up and down her whole body. "We will be back with the results momentarily," the woman said and they exited the room when the mayor dismissed them.

"Now, Ero," Mayor Blackberry began friendlily as they waited for the results. He was always a good mayor, strict to the eyes of the Capitol for his image only, but the District Twelve citizens knew him as a nice man whose only brother died in one of the Hunger Games and held a grudge toward the Capitol. That is another contributing factor to why District Twelve, and Ero as well, elected him as Mayor last year. He was relatable. "How is the mining profession suiting you?"

"Not too bad," Ero said conversationally. "I mean, if I had to choose between mining and working with Nellia's family at the bakery, I would have to choose the bakery, but there are certainly some nice people to pass the time with down in the mines."

"Good to hear, son," the Mayor told him with a smile and it looked like he had wanted to continue because he glanced at the girl for a second with an opened mouth, but the two healers rushed into the room with a couple of sheets of paper in hand before he could get a word out.

"Mayor Blackberry," the female healer said. "We have the results."

"Bring me the results and then you are dismissed," the Mayor replied, extending his hand for the papers.

The healers looked like they had wanted to protest, but didn't disobey the Mayor. They wordlessly handed him the papers and left the room. The Mayor read and re-read the papers many times and each time his eyebrows shot up even more as he read it. The Mayor looked up at the girl and Ero Katon. "From the measurements Healers Shest and Clay took, you have the physical growth rate of a 10-year-old girl, but your blood results say that you are twelve-years-old." The Mayor looked at Ero gravely, both knowing that she would have to be placed in the reaping if she stayed in Disitrct Twelve which was a high probability considering that fact that she had no where else to go. "Tell me again, where did you find her?"

"I found her unconscious in the woods with a fever and it looked like she had been running long and hard because she was broken into a cold sweat," Ero explained.

"And you don't know her name or parents or anything?"

Ero shook his head. "She doesn't remember anything. She must've hit her head. But please don't contact the Capitol about her. If you must, put her name into the reaping bowl, but please don't tell them. They might take her away and turn her into an Avox!" Ero pleaded with him. "I'll take full responsibility for her, like I said before. I'll put her in school and Nellia Mellark had already given her clothes to where. We already agreed that she could live with me."

The Mayor looked at Eros's sad face because he didn't want what happened to his parents to happen to the little girl. He turned his attention to the girl then and his face softened even more. She looked so desperate, innocent, like his brother did when he had gotten reaped, at the age of twelve, just the same age as her. "All right, I won't contact the Capitol, but we still have to register her into District Twelve and the school. That means we have to give her a name."

"Xaimia," Ero said immediately. "Xaimia Katon."

The Mayor sat back in his chair and sighed understanding what the name was. "Your mother's name."

Ero nodded.

Mayor Blackberry looked to the girl and asked her, "Do you like that name?"

The girl too small for her age looked at Ero and then back to the Mayor. She nodded her head. "For Ero," she whispered almost inaudibly and shyly.

The Mayor smiled down at the girl reassuringly and then took a pen from his desk. "Then we have a lot of paperwork to fill out."

* * *

**Hello readers! I come bearing another chapter! I hope you liked it! Favourite, Review and follow me so you can be alerted when I post next!**

**Until next time...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. I only own the characters that you do not recognize.**

**A/N: I had a reviewer ask me how to pronounce Xaimia's name. It is pronounced: X-zay-mia. Hope that helped.**

* * *

It took Xaimia, Ero and the Mayor a while to fill out all of the paperwork. Ero had to sign papers to be Xaimia's guardian. He had to sign papers for her to register in District Twelve. Ero also had to sign papers for Xaimia to be in school which they also had to make up some things about Xaimia on there as well. Luckily, knowing how old she was, they could determine that year that she was born in, but he had to be creative with the month and day, so they settled on Xaimia's birthday being December 19th, 3000, making her twelfth birthday just two months ago. When the Mayor mentioned enrolling Xaimia in school, Xaimia's face masked itself in a look of fear.

"It's okay, Zay," Ero tried to calm her down while giving her a nickname. "It's just school. You will make friends and you will be okay."

"But they won't like me," she murmured back.

"Yes, they will. I'll make sure of it," Ero promised her while putting a big hand on her shoulder. He then turned to the Mayor and stood up with his hand extended. "Thank you, Mayor Blackberry. You are very kind."

"Your welcome, Mr. Katon. I wish the best for you too, Xaimia Katon," the Mayor said while bending his head lower to her level.

Xaimia just nodded, trying to muster a small smile in politeness to the man who, according to Ero, was doing her a huge favor by not turning her over to the Capitol. _Whatever that is_, Xaimia thought to herself as Ero and her left the large building.

* * *

Ero and Xaimia had gotten themselves acquainted with each other and learned surprisingly a lot about each other. Well, Xaimia learned a lot about Ero. She seemed to build somewhat of a trust bond with him, despite only knowing him for less than 24 hours. After settling in all of Xaimia's things and getting her into drier clothing and cleaning herself, Xaimia had met some of Ero's other close friend and his family other than Finnick Odair II and Nellia Mellark. One boy who Xaimia thought was pretty loud named Jedidiah Carr had just stared at Xaimia and kept asking Ero every few minutes without looking away from her, "So you say you found her in the woods?" He finally stopped once Ero told him to shut up because he was making Xaimia more uncomfortable as it is. His parents on the other hand were quite respectful and told Xaimia that if there was anything that she needed, just to ask.

Finnick and Nellia also came over and Jedidiah, Ero and Finnick all immersed themselves in jokes and lax conversation. By the way they were all acting around each other, Xaimia assumed that they had known each other for quite some time and that they were very close friends. They all began to talk about something called "the Games." They would all say that they hoped no one they knew would get picked that year and they just couldn't wait for it to be over. And just when Xaimia opened her mouth to ask what "the Games" were, Ero abruptly ended the conversation, glancing discreetly over at Xaimia with an uncomfortable look on his face.

* * *

"What would you like me to make you for dinner, Xaimia?" Ero asked the girl whom her was now responsible for the next night.

She looked up from the tattered, wool blanket that she was folding and set it on the armrest of the old sofa that was overlooking the lit fireplace that particularly cold February night. "Whatever you would like. Letting me eat your food is plenty enough."

Ero stopped short and stared at Xaimia for a moment. He just realized something. She had a foreign accent! He couldn't identify the accent, but it sounded very... mechanical and proper. Not even the Capitol citizens had that type of accent. He had never realized it before because she never said so many words at once in the couple of days he had known her. "Zay, stop acting like you think you are a burden to me," Ero told her after snapping out of his gaze but not mentioning the accent and came to sit down next to her. "You're not. You kind of remind me of myself actually. Young; shy; innocent. Okay, maybe not innocent," Ero joked which made a giggle escape from Xaimia's mouth.

"Now I am going to make some vegetable soup and some bread and you are going to get ready for your first day of school tomorrow," Ero said to her and got up from the sofa, making their dinner.

* * *

The next day was Xaimia's first day of school. Ero said she would need some paper, a folder to keep it in, extra large pieces of paper to divide the subjects she would learn, and pencils to write all of her notes on. Ero told her that he would be with her to walk her to her classroom. She insisted in the beginning that she could do it alone. Despite being highly shy with people, she was a pretty independent person. People just didn't see it. None the less, Ero insisted himself that he walk her to her class. According to Xaimia's thoughts, he nailed the bid brother role he said he had always wanted to play.

"Just remember, Zay. Try to make friends and talk to other people," Ero tried to remind her. "Also, if anyone tries to talk down at you or is mean to you or anything, stand tall, ignore them and if it is a boy, I don't care how old her is, I will beat him up." Ero smirked at that last part.

"Yes father," Xaimia rolled her eyes playfully and automatically came in for a hug before she knew what she was doing. Ero immediately stiffened in surprise and Xaimia pulled back, her cheeks eating up from the hug. "I-I-I'm sorry," she began, but Eo didn't respond. He stretched his arms out and pulled her in for a hug. "Just be good," he whispered to the little shy girl when they were outside her classroom with the Principal who he had taken a great liking to as a little sister.

"I will."

* * *

Xaimia sucked in a deep breath as Principal Pole opened the door to the classroom. About fifteen nameless faces about her age turned to stare at her with confusion. A younger woman, maybe about the age of 35 who Xaimia assumed to be the teacher, stood in the middle of the classroom and looked over to the three people standing in the doorway just like the students were.

"Miss Grem?" Principal Pole called to the seventh grade teacher as she nudged Xaimia lightly to the front of the classroom.

When Ero realized that he wasn't going to be invited into the room, he whispered to Xaimia, "I'll see you right after school, okay?"

All Xaimia did was nod shyly and turned her attention back to the floor when Ero finally closed the door and left the room.

"I have the new student that is to be in your class right here," Principal Pole put her hand of Xaimia's shoulder, signifying that she was the new student.

"Oh yes," Miss Grem, the assumed teacher said with a tight smile that didn't look like it was forced, but Xaimia observed that she probably didn't want to be here at all, watching her body language. "The new student."

"So I will leave you to get settled then," Principal Pole told Xaimia and the teacher and left without another word.

"Why don't you introduce yourself?" She directed this at Xaimia, bending down to her level, like most people did when they met here, she was so short.

Xaimia looked around the room and internally hid in a corner when she saw everyone staring at her. No one did anything. They just stared at her. Some intrigued. Some bored and picking at the old chewing gum on the side of their ancient desks. She swear she also heard a dim snoring sound from the back of the classroom. But then she turned back to the teacher and said small-ly, "Zay- Zay- Xaimia Katon." She stuttered this out nervously. "My name is Xaimia Katon."

Someone snorted loudly in the background and Xaimia's eyes shot up immediately to the voice. When people stared into her piercing indigo eyes, several people stared in amazement while a couple of them gasped.

"Your eyes," the obnoxious girl who Xaimia heard snort was staring at her eyes in wonderment. "They are a purplish-blue."

"I am aware," Xaimia replied stiffly but quietly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That is not possible. Not even the people in the Capitol have indigo colored eyes."

"There is a first time for everything," the black haired girl replied under her breath, looing at the floor again because she disliked the attention she was receiving very much. She turned slightly to her new teacher. "May I sit down now?"

The teacher nodded wordlessly, a little flabbergasted at her eyes as well, but cleared her throat and composed herself when Xaimia's eyes were out of view after Xaimia sat down in an empty desk in the back of the classroom.

Xaimia looked around the classroom as the class went on because they weren't even learning anything at the moment. The whole class besides her and another girl were discussing a current event or something else that didn't involve learning so Xaimia couldn't contribute to the conversation. So when she looked over to the other girl who wasn't participating, she wasn't surprised that this girl's expression looked exactly like her own. Her face looked as if saying, _What are they even talking about?!_ That look was the only look in the room that comforted Xaimia. Some of the students once in a while glanced back at the small, naturally pale skinned girl with a look of interest and a few just had emotionless expressions when they looked back. All of these thoughts ran through her head, but she was pulled out of them abruptly when a voice called, "Miss Katon?"

Xaimia's head shot to the direction of where the teacher was standing. The look she gave the teacher must've looked like Xaimia meant, "Go on," because the teacher continued.

"Do you have any comments concerning the discussion the class was having on the topic of the Capitol or the Games?" the teacher as her, sounding slightly annoyed and not enthusiastic at all. Xaimia began to wonder whether Miss Grem enjoyed her job at all.

She shot her new teacher a questioning look.

"The Capitol? The Annual Hunger Games? Anything one of these ring a bell?" Miss Grem asked in a _very_ irked tone now.

Xaimia shook her head then asked, "What is the Hunger Games? And what is the Capitol?" She was very confused and a little aggravated because Ero and his friends had kept on mentioning "the Games" and "The Capitol" and "the Reaping," but when she asked what they were, no one would answer her!

Everyone and everything in the room was dead silent from the moment on. You could hear a pin drop. Even the girl who wasn't paying attention to the conversation as well was staring at her. "How do you not know what the Capitol is, let alone the Hunger Games?!" the obnoxious girl exclaimed. "Everyone in Panem knows what the Hunger Games are!"

"Well I don't!" Xaimia snapped back while sitting up straighter, but immediately shrunk back in her seat, surprised with herself that she was that loud and bold. She was always quiet and never said more than a couple of words at a time when it wasn't possible for her to just nod or shake her head.

The obnoxious girl was about to retort when the bell gave out a loud _**RING! RING!** **RING!** _Everyone filed out of the classroom with paper bags in each of their hands, some glancing back at the new girl with an undecided look on their faces as if they didn't know what to make of her yet. One of the only ones whose face wasn't like that was the obnoxious girl. Her face was twisted in a glare directed at Xaimia, the girl's mousy brown hair framing her face in a way that fit the scowl perfectly in Xaimia's opinion. Two other girls stood on either side of her in an obedient fashion and glared at Xaimia in uniform as well when they saw the obnoxious girl do it. Xaimia assumed they must've been her cronies.

After everyone else (including the teacher, not bothering to acknowledge Xaimia's lack of direction in the school building) besides Xaimia and the non-participating girl who seemed to be rummaging in her school bag for something had left the room for lunch, she grabbed her own which consisted of a rabbit sandwich on a whole grain roll cut in half with a jug of water in a paper bag. On her way out of the classroom, Xaimia felt herself colliding with someone and her lunch bag fell to the ground along with another brown bag. "Sorry!" a voice exclaimed. Xaimia looked up and saw the girl who didn't contribute to the conversation of current events during class, standing with an apologetic look on her face. Her head was covered with medium blonde curly hair that was down to her waist like Xaimia's and pushed behind her ears with a middle part. She was a little bit taller than Xaimia, but her clothes seemed about Xaimia's size like they were hand-me-downs or a couple of years old. When she looked up and she got a full view of the girl, she decided that this girl was very pretty, but it looked as though she tried to hide it.

Xaimia thought that was understandable and if she was that pretty, she would so the same thing, but Xaimia never thought of herself as pretty. Sure, Xaimia couldn't deny that she had long, silky black hair that was pin straight, but it could never hold as curl as Nellia tried the day before she had went to school. And in the course of the four days she had been in District Twelve, she was praised by both Nellia and Jedidiah's mother about her big, unique, indigo eyes, her long, dark eyelashes, and her symmetrical facial features, but Xaimia never really thought that was a contribution to her face that made a difference. She never saw how long eyelashes or straight hair made someone pretty. Sure, they saw the face, but Xaimia thought her body was too scrawny and gangly and too ten-year-old-ish for her body to look like anything, despite only being twelve. When she saw the other twelve-year-olds, she saw that they were already beginning to develop a figure, but Xaimia saw nothing on her own body, not that it mattered to her anyways.

"It's okay. It's my fault," Xaimia told the girl with just as much of an apologetic face.

"Thanks," the girl said appreciatively and half-smiled like it was a new thing to her when Xaimia picked up the girl's lunch bag as well as her own and put it in her hands.

"No problem," Xaimia managed, still shyly.

"I guess it is polite to ask if you want to sit with me at lunch considering you are new and all," the girl asked awkwardly like speaking to people wasn't a daily occurrence for her. And that was perfectly fine with Xaimia. She wasn't that comfortable with human interaction as well. But this girl's aura didn't seem like a shy one like her own. It seemed like a stone cold one and a little stiff.

"I guess so," she responded. "Xaimia Katon," she said little boldly and out of character by smiling back.

"Cailery Fork," the girl said back

* * *

Only a few people stared at the two girls as they sat down at a vacant lunch table and set down their lunches because everyone was already too pre-occupied with their friends and conversations to speak to anyone. "So what is it like in District Twelve?" Xaimia tried to start up a conversation. Even though she didn't like interacting that much with people, she _was_ sometimes in the mood to have someone to talk to. She also felt as though she needed someone to tell her what it was like in District Twelve and what the Games and the Capitol were.

"It's terrible compared to the other Districts," Cailery told her in a very bitter fashion. "Where are you from anyway? I have never seen you around District Twelve before, you have an odd accent, you have Capitol clothing which is much nicer than any of the people in the Districts, and you don't even know what the Hunger Games or the Capitol are!"

Xaimia drew a deep breath and thought about it herself. It was hard for her to think about because she didn't know where she was from or who her parents were, and now she was thrown into a whole other life! "Look, the thing is that I don't remember anything about who I am or what I came from."

Cailery eyes bugged out of her head and she finally looked up her lunch. "Really? Then how are you here and why do have the last name, 'Katon,' then?"

"I was supposedly found in the woods by Ero while having a fever and looking quite out of breath. Ero took me in and gave me the name, 'Xaimia Katon,' because I didn't remember anything about myself or my past so I wasn't able to supply the Mayor with a name when I was registered in District Twelve a couple of days ago. The clothing I got from one of Ero's friends, Nellia Mellark, who apparently is sent all of her clothing from the said, 'Capitol.'" Xaimia exhaled deeply after saying all that in one breath.

"Wow," Cailery breathed and that was all she did. Her expression didn't seem bored or stiff anymore, but sympathy and concern filled her eyes.

"But most of all, it is very frustrating because I cannot seem to remember anything and what if the life I came from before was great and my parents are looking for me right now!" Even when she said this, and how it might sound like she wanted sympathy from Cailery, she didn't. The last thing she wanted was sympathy from _anyone_ at all, but she needed to vent and even it was just venting to basically a stranger, it felt good to let out her feelings because Ero was at the mines mostly in the couple of days that she had known him, so she only saw him for breakfast and dinner. He was out like a light from anything in between or at work in the mines or the bakery.

"Wow," Cailery said again.

"I'm sorry if I just dumped all of my problems on you," Xaimia apologized quickly and was back to her shy and quiet nature. "I'm just trying to adjust."

"It's okay," Cailery told her. "If I were you, I'd probably be doing the same thing you are right now. Or bottling it all up which is not healthy so you are probable handling it much better than I would be," Cailery said after a thought.

After a moment of comfortable silence to soak in that couple minutes of excessive dialogue between the two of them that neither of them expected, knowing their personalities, Xaimia asked Cailery a question. "What is 'the Capitol' and Panem that everyone speaks of?"

"Well in Panem, our country, there are thirteen districts; or at least_ were _thirteen districts. Now there are only twelve. Each district is in charge of providing a certain thing for other districts and the Capitol, Twelve's being coal mining. Some of the Districts, like One, Two, and Four, are called Career Districts. They are the richer districts that are more loyal and well-like by the Capitol; One and Two are at least. District Four is one of the less snobbish and on the edge of the Capitol's side or the rebel side.

"The Capitol, on the other hand, is like the dictator district. They get all the fine clothing and luxuries and they never starve. That is also where the president and our monarch, President Snow, resides," Cailery spat out the name 'Snow' angrily and bitterly.

"The Hunger Games, though, is an annual event held by the Capitol. One boy and one girl from each of the twelve districts between the ages of 12 through 18 are chosen out of a bowl on a day called 'Reaping Day.' The Capitol citizens think it is a 'fun' day," Cailery rolled her eyes and put air quotes around the word, "fun." "The kids have to dress up and if you are picked, you have to be taken to the Capitol to be made 'presentable' to the Capitol citizens and potential sponsors. After about a week in the Capitol, the 24 kids are thrown into an arena where they fight." Cailery's eyes then darkened. "To the death," she finally added with a look full of hatred in her eyes that looked like her mind was elsewhere and her hatred was directed toward something in particular. "Until only one is left." Xaimia saw Cailery's face crumple slightly, but before tears began shining in her eyes, she composed herself and a cold, hard glare appeared on her face once more.

As Cailery said each word, Xaimia's stomach dropped even more and when she added, 'To the death,' both Xaimia's heart and stomach plummeted completely and her eyes widened considerably. "To the death?" Xaimia wanted to confirm, hoping she had heard her wrong.

Cailery nodded gravely. "To the death," she repeated.

"Then doesn't that mean that our names are to be put in the reaping bowl this year and we could be picked to compete in the Hunger Games?"

Cailery nodded again. "It is a pretty low chance. I mean, when you are twelve, your name only gets put in once, but when you are thirteen, it is put in twice and once more each time as you get older. The sad thing is that most of us in District Twelve and the other outlining districts have to put in tesserae."

Even though she was shaken up still from when she retained that deadly information, Xaimia shot her a questioning look just like the one she shot her teacher.

"Tesserae is when your name gets put in depending on how much tesserae you choose to take out. If you choose to get tesserae, you get more food or water from the Capitol, and believe me when I say this. In District Twelve, almost everyone takes out tesserae."

"But why would the Capitol do this to us! What did _we_ do!" Xaimia exclaimed.

Cailery took another deep breath and began the history lesson that was taught for so many years at school because of the Capitol-approved school curriculum. "About 100 years ago, there was a war between the Districts and the Capitol; an uprising for freedom of some sort and what the Capitol calls the Dark Days. When the Capitol won that war, they instated the Hunger Games and that went on for 75 years. On the seventy-fifth year, there was another uprising, Nellia Mellark's mother, Katniss Everdeen Mellark being the leader, or Mockingjay as they called her, with the help of Nellia's father, Peeta Mellark. They were both the victors or the 74th, Annual Hunger Games, despite the rules of being only one victor. They also had to compete in the Third Quarter Quell, or the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games and that is when the second rebellion began.

"In the end, the Distrcits prevailed and our former dictator, President Snow, was killed along with a future dictator, Alma Coin. Everything was fine for about twenty years or so; until the Capitol decided to strike back. They took back control of the Districts and our numbers downgraded greatly. Unfortunately, I barely remember what it was like to have a normal childhood, the Games being re-instated back when I was seven, five years ago. This year is going to be the 82nd Hunger Games."

"But that is so barbaric! Who would want to hurt innocent children?!" Xaimia whispered to herself with a new look of quiet rage on her face.

"That's the capitol for you," was all that Cailery responded with.

* * *

**Ta-da! I hope this was a very enjoyable chapter. Follow, Favourtie, and review for the next update!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Dislcaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games.**

* * *

As the days went by, Xaimia began to settle into District Twelve. Xaimia had found out from Cailery (whom she had become very close with; comfortable silence between the two of them, and more than once in a while, talking, joking with one another) that the obnoxious girl was a girl who hated Cailery and now Xaimia very much, and that her name was Presta Match. Cailery had told her that Presta always thought she was better than anyone else because her family came from District 1 before the Capitol took over again and she lived in the richer part of District 12, where Ero's friend, Jedidiah Carr lived.

Her brother-sister relationship with Ero strengthened and they would often do things together when Ero wasn't at the mines. He also took her to the woods outside the District boundaries very early in the morning once in a while. Xaimia would watch Ero hunt and maybe pick some berries after he taught which ones are poisonous and which ones are safe to eat. He also attempted to teach her archery at one point, but that failed miserably. He hadn't tried any weapons or hand-to-hand combat after that. He then tried to teach her traps and snares which she was pretty adept at. by the way and place she set them up from Ero's point of view, it was almost as if she knew what the creature she trapped was going to do before the thing did it. The only problem Ero had with teaching Xaimia how to use the snares and traps was the fact that she winced and cringed every time she caught something, asking him once, "Why did we have to kill it?"

The only response he could muster from that small question with her big, doe-like eyes was, "Because we need food. That animal is our food."

Xaimia always would nod sadly like she understood what he meant, but she couldn't help but feel bad for the animal anyway.

But the one thing that always racked Xaimia's mind was something that she was dreading yet curious about at the same time: Reaping Day.

On the day of the reaping, about a month after Xaimia's mysterious arrival in District Twelve, Xaimia began to get even more nervous. She was letting her black hair down for the first side from it's usual, low bun. Her Reaping clothes was yet another hand-me-down outfit from Nellia, but she didn't mind. Her mind wasn't on the clothing or her hair; her mind escaped elsewhere, or tired to at least because her thoughts kept on coming back to the Reaping.

"Are you ready to go?" Ero's voice called from the living room.

"Yes," she said back, louder than her normal whisper, but even as she raised her voice, she doubt he had heard her. As she walked into the mostly-wooden-and-stone living room, she began to think more and more of what would happen if she was picked, or even worse: Cailery, her best friend and only friend. She wouldn't know what to do if any of this new life was taken away from her, no matter how new her life is. Tears began to form in her eyes and her breathing quickly got heavier and more rapid. Her slight twitch became more pronounced as her breath quickened.

Ero ran up to her and knelt down in front of her when she got to the outside front of the small, old house in the Seam. Other kids about her age a little older in their teen years and who Xaimia guessed to be their parents and littler and older siblings were trudging at a very slow pace in their nicest Seam-clothing. Some of the kids looked petrified and scared out of their wits while one boy about her age was wailing and fighting with his mother. "It's okay," Ero tried to soothe her as he stroked the hair on her head in an overprotective brotherly fashion. "You'll be fine. You won't get picked. Your name is only in there once."

"B-B-B-But I do not want t-t-t-t-to g-g-go," Xaimia trembled and stuttered.

Ero's eyes suddenly became urgent and hard for some reason that Xaimia did not know. "You must go. Neither will Cailery. I promise," As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Ero regretted them. He knew he couldn't promise that. It just hurt him so much to see this little girl cry. No one deserves this kind of torture. Torture that in one moment, you could be handed an inevitable death sentence and there were no choices other than one sliver of hope that will be utterly lost within a matter of days.

"You promise?" The girl's eyes began to dry as she wiped them with her sleeve.

Ero nodded wordlessly, not wanting to say them again because that would make him feel even worse.

"Okay," Xaimia said, trying to put on a brave face.

* * *

"Welcome, welcome to the 82nd Annual Hunger Games!" A much older Effie Trinket exclaimed into the microphone. After years of Capitol plastic surgery, she looked the same, but you could tell in her voice that she was much older than she physically led on, even though due to modern medicine and technology, people in the Capitol _and_ the Districts lived to about 200 years old.

Effie, after the Rebellion, realized how bad the Capitol was and decided to stay in the Hunger Games business as an escort to help any potential victors that stood a chance in the Games and everyone in District 12 knew that was the best she, as a Capitol citizen, could do.

Xaimia stood with the twelve-year-olds as Effie cued a video that showed an overview of what the Hunger Games was all about. Most of the younger kids who stood with their parents were asleep, yawning or in a daze or a stray kid was actually watching the video, but the kids who were sitting with their age groups all had nervous or bored looks on their faces like they had seen this video so many times.

When the video finished, Effie turned back to the microphone. "Now we shall bring up to the stage our past victors that we have had in the Hunger Games. But before we do that, we shall have a moment of silence for one of our past District 12 victors, Rellan Fentz. He was the victor of the 68th Annual Hunger Games at age 15. He had died just days after his crowning." After a very short (probably Capitol-timed) moment of silence, Effie moved on to announcing the living victors. "Next, we have Haymitch Abernathy, the winner of the 50th Hunger Games, the Second Quarter Quell."

Xaimia watched as a man dressed in non-Capitol fashion, swayed slightly as he walked onto the stage. He appeared to be a little drunk, but Xaimia observed that he wasn't too drunk that he couldn't walk correctly, mind the slight stumble. Despite his drunken state, people still clapped and cheered for the man, Haymitch.

"We also have Katniss Everdeen Mellark and Peeta Mellark, the star-crossed lover of District Twelve and the victors of the 74th Hunger Games and two of the survivors of the 75th Hunger Games!" As Effie called their names, a man and a woman about late-thirties or early-forties had graced the steel stage, holding each others' hands, waving and the man smiling easily as people clapped and cheered for them quite loudly. The man, who Xaimia assumed was Peeta, had light blonde hair that was slightly greying at the roots, despite his overall youthful appearance. He also was very muscular and medium height which made him only a head taller than Katniss Everdeen Mellark. His blue eyes shone through the crowd which looked exactly like Nellia's. Xaimia wondered if they were related somehow, also because of the surname. His face looked like he was at ease with the whole situation, but Xaimia couldn't help but notice that there a certain strained look to his face and his eyes like he was holding back a very strong emotion.

The woman, Katniss, on the other hand had very dark black hair, like Xaimia's hair, and light grey eyes. Xaimia observed that the woman looked very awkward up on the stage and it looked like it was a forced smile because her eyes looked guarded rather than welcoming's, like the man. The only emotion that the woman showed that Xaimia thought was genuine at this moment was her urgency to hold onto this man's hand, like he was the only thing keeping her sane in this situation. When the woman glanced at the man whose hand she was holding, Xaimia saw that her eyes and face always flickered and relaxed, actual feeling and love pouring from her features. Xaimia's suspicions about Nellia Mellark's relations to these people strengthened because Nellia, minus her eyes whose looked like the man's, looked like the spitting image of this woman: Dark hair in a braid down the side, fairly tall, but not as tall as the man, and an athletic figure.

"Now we have Nellia Mellark, the victor of the 79th Annual Hunger Games!" Effie announced the eighteen-year-old girl. At the entrance of the girl, a majority of the males around Nellia's own age began to cheer and wolf-whistle. Her dark hair swayed with her body as she crossed the stage to sit next to her father, who smiled at her.

"And our final and newest victor, the winner of last year's games, the 81st Hunger Games; may I please present, Isaiah Mellark!" When Effie announced Isaiah Mellark, no one came on the stage. "Isaiah Mellark!" Effie announced again. No one came on. A few moments later, Peeta sighed in a frustrated way and exited the stage only to some back only a second later with a boy about Xaimia's age, maybe a little bit older, like around fifteen. The boy came out with a long scar running down the side of his face and a stone cold face that graced his very handsome features. It was obvious to everyone that he did not want to be there. Nevertheless, all the girls surrounding Xaimia in the younger sections of the Reaping-aged girls were giggling and whispering to their friends, pointing at Isaiah. She couldn't believe them. _One of you could very well be killed within these next two weeks and all you care about are his eyes!_ Xaimia thought angrily to herself as she watched the boy who kept his cold, emotionless eyes straight toward the woods and avoiding any eye contact.

Xaimia knew from the moment he saw Isaiah that he was Peeta's son, save the last name. His short, light blonde hair was the exact same colour as his father's. He was considerably built and muscular, much like his father, but was a little bit shorter than his father who was around 5'10". The boy looked about 5'6" or 5'7" at the moment. Isaiah, from what Xaimia could see, was a miniature version of his father. The only difference was that the boy had light grey eyes, like Katniss's.

Once everyone on the stage was seated again, the giggling girls around Xaimia began to be serious again and wear nervous looks on their faces. And Xaimia knew why: Effie had brought out the Reaping bowls.

"Alright," Effie said as she stepped toward one of the bowls. "This year, we will switch it up. Gentlemen first!"

All of the boys, even the older ones who have done this before, had stiffened significantly when Effie said that the boys were to be chosen first. Effie walked over to the left bowl filled with tiny, folded, white slips of paper and dug around in the bowl to the bottom.

"Salco Crank!" she cried out.

All the boys visibly let out a huge breath they had all been holding in and then some of the older ones turned slowly to a boy around the age of 17 or 18 with pitied looks. As he walked up very stiffly with a stone cold face, Xaimia observed his features. He was considerably tall and a slim body with medium skin and dark brown hair that was cropped short. His almond shaped eyes had a look of determination on his face and his fists were clenched so hard, Xaimia was sure that she saw blood from his fingertips.

When he got to the microphone, Effie asked him, "So you're Salco Crank?"

"Yes," he replied.

"How old are you?"

"17."

"Well stand over there and we shall pick your District partner," Effie directed him to her right side and then walked over to the right Reaping bowl. She fished around the slips for a few moments and dramatically picked out one paper and then put it back, grabbing another instead. Finally, she decided on one. "Xaimia Katon."

All the breath that Xaimia was holding in her throat was caught. She was to be the female District 12 tribute in the Hunger Games. Several people in the District who have never even heard of her had puzzled looks on their faces. The ones who did know her had pitied looks on their faces. Except Presta Match. Her face was full of mirth and glee.

_What a surprise_, Xaimia thought.

"No!" Cailery gasped next to her.

Xaimia turned to her best friend. She tried to keep a brave face for her friend. And luckily her emotionless expression hadn't crumpled yet. But on the inside, she was terrified, worried, and surprised all at the same time.

Cailery hugged her quickly, her face so different from how it usually is. It was emotionless like Xaimia's was right now, it had tears running down her face. "Go," she whispered sadly and reluctantly. It was both of their first, real best friends. Their first friend and it was quickly taken away. _By the Capitol_!

Xaimia began to make her way toward the stage slowly and cautiously when a strong, tall figure ran up to her, getting past the peacekeepers. Xaimia turned to see who it was. It was Ero. He bent down in front of her to her eye level and pulled her into a brotherly-sisterly embrace. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," was all he whispered when he let go, but then put his hands on her shoulders. He was soon pulled away though when one particularly gigantic peacekeeper seized Ero's arms and Ero struggled greatly. "I'll meet you in the room!" he screamed to her as four peacekeepers carried him away. It took four peacekeepers to carry ONE nineteen-year-old away! All Xaimia could do to keep her stone cold expression from breaking was to nod. Xaimia looked around once more before walking up the stage. She saw a lot of broken faces when they realized that a twelve-year-old girl who didn't look a day over ten was going to be quite poissibly killed within this next week.

"C'mon dear," Effie guided her up the stage and to the microphone. "Now, I take it you are Xaimia Katon?"

Xaimia didn't bother looking up. "Obviously," she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. She then swear she heard a noise like an amused snort from behind her, but was too nervous to turn around.

"Was that your brother?" Effie continued, pretending not to hear her.

"I guess," Xaimia answered, emotionlessly, yet shyly. He _technically_ wasn't her brother, but to her, he was family in everything but blood.

"Now how old are you?" the District Twelve escort then asked her.

"12," she answered shortly.

"Excellent! Now we have our two District Twelve tributes! Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" Effie cried into the microphone and then made Salco and Xaimia shake hands. Xaimia quickly pulled away from Salco's, tan, cold hand, only to be whisked away from the rest of District twelve and into a small room, alone.

* * *

"You have three minutes with each visitor," the nameless peacekeeper told Xaimia before closing the door to the small room.

The first to come in was a hysterical Cailery. Xaimia stood up to meet her hug enthusiastically.

"Oh Zay, you can't die! You can't go into the Games! I've already lost my brother! I can't lose you either!" she cried into her shoulder.

"Your brother died in the Games?" Xaimia wondered disbelievingly.

Cailery nodded, trying to wiper her tears.

"I'll try to stay alive," Xaimia promised her then attempted her first smile since she was picked. "You know, I am the one suppose to be crying; not you."

Cailery giggled and smiled weakly. "I'll find a way to get you sponsers. I promise."

"Thank you," Xaimia told her. "You are the best friend a girl could ever have," she told her sincerely.

"It's time to go," the peackeeper ordered Cailery who quickly turned back to Xaimia.

"You are one of the greatest people I have ever met," she told her and then was brutally ushered out of the room.

* * *

The next and last person to visit her was Ero.

"First my parents, now you. The Capitol did this and have had it out for me ever since I pissed them off. ," he said angrily and immediately began pacing in the room with a startled Xaimia after he burst in. He then stopped and kneeled down in front of her again. "I'm so sorry." Xaimia swear she saw tears glittering in his eyes but they were gone within that second.

"It's not your fault, Ero. But I'm going to miss you. If I don't come back-" Xaimia began.

"No!" he cut her off. "You _will_ come back. Cailery, Nellia and I will make sure you get as many sponsors possible." By the way he sounded, it was like he might come in the arena himself just to give her the sponsor gifts.

"But if I _don't_, I want you to know that I appreciate _everything_ you have donw for me this past month and you are the best brother ever," Xaimia told him genuinely. "Your parents would be proud."

"It's time for the female tribute to leave," the peacekeeper interrupted their brother-sister moment.

"No," Ero began to protest, but the peacekeeper walked up to him and grabbed him by the arms, but Ero was putting up a fight. "I promise!" he yelled as he was being man-handled out.

And that was the last thing she heard before she was being taken away from District Twelve, her new home. And possibly forever.

* * *

**Sorry if it a little short. And I know, predictable, right? The reaping was very predictable, but you will see why soon...okay not so soon, but you will eventually! Please keep reading, follow, favourite and review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. Only the characters you do not recognize from the published book series.**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE PLEASE READ!:**** So I was looking for new Hunger Games stories to read and I saw one that had a beginning kind of similar to mine. I DID NOT steal that idea if you have ever read a Hunger Games story with my similar plot. Just wanted to clear that up. And I am sorry to that author who wrote it if you thought I stole your idea.**

* * *

Effie Trinket grabbed Salco and Xaimia immediately after they came out of the visitor room and ushered them onto the train. "You will be meeting your mentors momentarily, but until then, why don't you enjoy yourselves with some refreshments!"

Xaimia shuddered at how upbeat and happy Effie was, but sat down at the dining table in one of the train cars when Effie left to get a drink and Salco sat down as well.

"I've never seen her before. Wasn't she the girl who Ero took in?" Xaimia heard a faint voice growing louder from outside the car.

"Yes, mother, she is and it is just so sad. She is one of the saddest and most sweetest girls you will ever meet," another voice said, now the voices were right outside the dining car door.

"Can we all please shut up?!" a new voice exclaimed in a whisper. "They can probably hear you all right now!"

Both Salco and Xaimia looked over to the door as it opened slowly to reveal five of the six former victors from five different Hunger Games, four of them staring at the newly-chosen tributes, set up for slaughter. The oldest male victor, Haymitch, gaped when his head turned her way. "Maysilee," he whispered, staring at Xaimia. "Maysilee."

Peeta turned and looked at Haymitch with great concern. "Haymitch, are you okay?"

"I...I have to go. Excuse me," Haymitch finally tore his eyes away from the black haired girl and exited the dining car quickly without another word.

"Why was he mentioning Maysilee Donnor?" Katniss asked her husband quietly.

"I do not know," Peeta shrugged, looking at the door Haymitch just left from. "We'll ask him later."

Katniss nodded and turned back to the recurring scene in front of her: everyone standing and looking at each other awkwardly.

"I'm so sorry this happened to you, Xaimia," Nellia immediately rushed up to the twelve-year-old and hugged her, pulling her out of her seat as she did so and set her down so she could stand just seconds later. "Ero is going to hate me if I don't bring you back alive."

Xaimia, despite knowing Nellia fairly well, just stared at her, not knowing what to say.

Noticing this awkward feel in the air, Salco stood up from his chair and walked over to his mentors. "Hello there," he flashed Nellia a cocky smile as he held out his hand. "I'm Salco Crank."

"Nellia Mellark," she shortly responded and distantly shaking his hand, which she quickly let go of.

"So what tips do you have us so we can stay alive?" Salco shot out, wanting to get straight to the point of his strategy. This time he actually looked at Nellia's parents and brother.

"Whoa, there," Peeta stopped him, chuckling. "Let's not be so persistent. Let's sit down and introduce ourselves first. We have to find out who would work better for training you and Xaimia before we get to strategies and angles."

"I guess," Salco very reluctantly agreed, looking slightly pissed now.

Peeta then turned to Xaimia and his smile warmed. He bent down to her level (_I wish everyone would stop doing that!_ Xaimia thought) and said, "Hello Xaimia. I'm Peeta Mellark, one of your mentors."

Expecting her to reply, Peeta waited for her to introduce herself, despite already knowing her name. Alas, she didn't. She just stood there, emotionless and shy, not knowing what to do.

When realizing she was going to answer, Peeta straightened out his body and walked back next to his wife who introduced herself next. "Hello, I am Katniss Mellark, your other mentor. My children though will be observing what we do because they are mentors in training."

Xaimia, this time, nodded, but still didn't say anything.

Even after the two older Mellarks introduced themselves to Salco, the boy still didn't introduce himself or even engage himself in any conversation. His face was still as stone cold and void of any emotion as it was at the Reaping.

"Isaiah!" his mother finally snapped at him. "Introduce yourself. You are being rude!"

Isaiah just glared, finally showing emotion.

"Don't glare at your mother!" Peeta scolded his son.

"Fine," the tall-ish blonde muttered angrily.

As he walked forward to join the group, Xaimia finally got a chance to _really_ look at him. She observed that he was truly and genuinely handsome. It was natural beauty that this boy had; not the plastic surgery-ed, Capitol handsome. She saw how Isaiah's light blonde hair practically shimmered in the bright light; how his grey eyes looked like they were filled with pain, tragedy and sorrow, but even though he tried to hide those emotions, Xaimia could see right through them, like she could read his soul. It was weird to her, that she could do that.

"Isaiah," the boy spat out. "Isaiah Mellark." He then glared a hard, burning meaningful glare at Salco when he didn't shake his hand that his father forced him to hold out, even though he shook the other, _older_ victors of District Twelve.

_Somebody (Salco) must not like being inferior to a younger guy_, Xaimia thought about Salco and Isaiah's immediate mutual hate for each other.

Isaiah then tore away his glare from Salco to meet the figure of Xaimia in his vision. His hard expression didn't change when his light eyes raked over her body to observe her physique and her potential, which, from his observation, wasn't much, especially with that slight rhythmic twitch from Xaimia that puzzled Isaiah.

_Does she have an illness or something?_ he thought about Xaimia's twitch.

The only thing in his face that changed was his raised eyebrows when his eyes met hers, like he knew something she didn't. And even after Peeta and Katniss called Nellia, Isaiah, Xaimia and Salco to sit down to finally talk strategy and Peeta and Katniss left to check on Haymitch and Effie, Isaiah's eyes didn't leave hers, despite her vision wandering elsewhere.

"So tell me," Nellia began as she poured herself some hot tea. "What are your talents or skills?"

Salco was the first to speak, no surprise there, and the cocky and overconfident look on his face made both Isaiah and Xaimia fell like he was hiding something, or he was very confident that his skills were going to win him the game. "I can do hand-to-hand combat and I am handy with swords and spears. That is all you need anyway."

Isaiah snorted loudly before anyone else could respond.

Salco snapped his head toward Isaiah's direction. "What's so funny, Mellark?" His glare was hard and if looks could do damage, there would be a hole right in the middle of Isaiah's face.

"Oh nothing," Isaiah began, chuckling a humorous laugh. "It's just that is the most predictable, Career-like answer ever: only offensive weapons; only going for the kill; short-range weapons; no survival skills; brute strength."

"Oh yeah, what do you know? I'm prepared and I know I can win! I _am _going to win!" Salco shot back, standing up front his chair, clenching his fists. Isaiah did the same.

When Salco responded, Xaimia knew that his response would easily shot down. Bad move on his part.

"Guys-" Neillia began sensibly.

"I won these Games, just last year, at the age of twelve against a sixteen-year-old monster from District Six. I wouldn't ask me how I would know these things," Isaiah was now yelling. Xaimia was a little scared herself at his fuming expression. "The strongest may come out on top, but that doesn't mean it has to be the strongest physically, or who can aim a spear at their target better!"

_Oh_, Xaimia thought._ So he was _thirteen!_ I thought he was much older!_

Salco rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "Yeah, but that won't help me in a fight!"

"Fighting is not what it is all about! When you get in the Games, you'll realize what the Games is really about. When you are in the cold, wet rain, a small shelter could make a difference! When you are staring, thirsty and out of food if you even get any, you will want to know what will help you or what will kill you in a matter of seconds!"

"You know what-!" Salco started at the same time Isaiah was beginning, "Don't even-!"

Unfortunately for them, they were both cut off by a blood curdling shriek from a very tempered at the moment, Xaimia.

Both males and Nellia slowly turned to Xaimia with their hands covering their ears. "What was that for?" Salco exclaimed. "You almost burst my eardrum!"

Xaimia kept quiet and didn't answer. Luckily, Nellia did. "Fighting won't help you once you get in the Games." She turned to Salco and told him shortly, "Salco, Isaiah is right. Fighting won't solve everything in the arena. You need to learn how to survive as well."

"Fine," Salco slumped back into his chair, visibly less angrier than before, but only when he shot a look at Nellia. His glare though was plastered on his face again right when he looked at Isaiah.

_I wonder if he knows that Nellia has a boyfriend_, Xaimia thought as she observed the scene before her. _Probably not._

"What can _you_ do?" Nellia tried to lighten the air by asking Xaimia now. Isaiah actually sat forward, finally looking interested in something during this whole train ride. Even during the yelling match he had with Salco, he looked bored. Salco, on the other hand, just continued to butter his toast as if nothing she had to offer was interesting or useful.

"Well I don't know really anything about the Games and everything with weapons and stuff."

Isaiah opened his mouth to ask what she meant, but Nellia silenced him.

"But Ero took me hunting a couple of times with him and Jedidiah and they both tried to teach me a few things," Xaimia continued, just barely above her normal whisper, much quieter than her shriek just minutes before. "I'm not even going to go into how terrible I am at archery." Xaimia winced at the memory of her accidentally getting a bow in Ero's shoe. Luckily for him, it went between his toes. "I'm pretty good at traps and snares and trying knots. Ero didn't try to teach me any more in weaponry or hand-to-hand combat after that."

Both Nellia and Isaiah looked at each other. "Well it's a start," Isaiah said. He then crossed his arms over his chest and resumed his cold, glaring demeanor. Xaimia was sure that glare was directed at her, but this boy was so good at his face, she wasn't so sure. "Do you think that you can make a trap or snare big enough to kill someone or at least trap them?"

Xaimia then got angry at what he said and matched his glare and motions perfectly. "Maybe, but it will not matter in the end because I am _not_ killing anybody!"

It was now Salco's turn to snort. "Sorry, kid, but that's how the Games works. Kill or be killed. Literally."

"Well I am not going to!" Xaimia shouted at the boy who is five years her senior and is quite muscled. He could have quite easily killed her right then and there, but that is against the rules of the Games. But his face looked like he wanted to after being shouted at like that. "I am not going to go into that arena and, if I do come out, I am not going to come out a murderer! It is barbaric! They cannot make me kill anyone and I would rather die than kill another person! What should it matter anyway! If I do win these Games, then having the guilt of brutally taking someone's life away is just about as bad as being dead yourself!" Xaimia's eyes widened when she realized how loud she had been. She _never_ speaks out of character! She quickly shrank back into her chair and her involuntary jerk of her body became more pronounced until Nellia could calm her down.

Isaiah sat back as well, surprised at what this girl, only one year his junior, had said about the Games and how she didn't want to kill anyone and how it won't matter in the end at all; Xaimia thinks she is still going to die. This girl's charisma and her fierceness despite her shy personality had impressed him. It impressed him also how she just accepted death because she knew that she was most likely going to die. All of this made him have the sudden urge to help her; make sure she wins. He was sure he was going to try, but whether or not he would succeed in making her the next victor, was another story.

* * *

When they finally arrived at the Capitol for what seemed like forever to Xaimia, Haymitch, Effie, Peeta and Katniss returned just in time to give them last minute pointers before facing the hounding cameras and reporters, waiting to get a picture or quote from a new tribute.

"Smile!" Effie whispered hurriedly to Xaimia when they came into camera range of the reporters.

Xaimia frowned even more after that.

"You see!" Effie scolded her when they got to the penthouse before they were to meet their prep teams. "Salco is going to get more sponsors because he actually smiles and knows how to deal with the paparazzi! You, on the other hand, refused to even put an emotion on your face!"

"Effie," Katniss put a hand on Xaimia's shoulder as she stood behind the small girl. "This is probably still a shock to her. She is barely twelve! You cannot expect her to a pro at it like Peeta was right from when he stepped into the light! I mean, look at me! You told me once that when I first came to the Capitol and I was surrounded by people, I looked like I was going to punch someone right then and there!" Katniss said the last sentence with an amused expression on her face.

Effie's face finally softened. "Just make sure that you learn how to act in front of the cameras, especially Ceaser."

All Xaimia could do was nod because Effie paced quickly over to Salco and began praising him on his persona. "Mrs. Mellark?"

Katniss looked down at the little girl. There _was_ something familiar about her. Maybe it _was_ that dark colour of both Maysilee and Madge **(let's pretend that their hair colour is black and not blonde like in the books)** that made this girl look almost exactly like them, or maybe it was something else. She couldn't quite tell. But she answered, "Yes?" She also gave her a rare smile to comfort her.

"I am scared. I-I-I-I am going t-t-t-to die, aren't I?" Xaimia trembled and began fiddling nervously with a small cube that had different coloured cubes within it and each section moved. She found it on the steel end table and it intrigued her. On the bottom of it, it was labeled, 'Rubik's Cube.' She was finished with the mind puzzle in less than thirty seconds, even though the cube said the difficulty level was "Very Difficult."

"I don't know, Xaimia. I hope not. I really hope not."

* * *

When the group of District Twelve inhabitants were ordered by Effie to go and meet the stylists and prep teams and get ready for the Tribute Parade, that was when Isaiah decided it was the perfect time to act: when other people weren't paying attention to him. "Hey," he whispered to Xaimia after he fell into step with her ( which was behind everyone else who had gone ahead) on their way down to the prep rooms. His face was still void of emotion and was looking straight forward.

Xaimia looked up at the tall boy with her distinct and heading turning indigo eyes, her glimmering pitch black hair shining when she whipped her face toward him. She scrunched her eyebrows and gave him a questioning look.

"Meet me in my room tonight at midnight when everyone has gone to bed." After saying this, he didn't her a chance to respond. He quickened his pace and caught u to his father immediately who, not surprisingly, looked exactly the same, minus the height difference, as they both walked: with confidence, back straight, one foot in front of the other.

* * *

"Sit on the table," the first of the prep team who revealed himself to be Octavia, ordered her nicely to the long, steel table. Everyone else was ordered out themselves and Salco, to another room for his prepping. Octavia was the definition of the Capitol style in looks, with his plastic surgery done all over his face to make him look younger and his colourful wig and clothing. But even though he was the definition of the capitol in _looks_, he certainly wasn't in personality. He was very kind and thoughtful of how the people in Districts must actually feel right now. He even admitted to be part of Katniss's prep team back before the second takeover. "Strip," he ordered again.

"What?!" Xaimia's eyes widened at his last word.

"Strip," he repeated.

"No!" she protested. She was _not_ going to be naked in front of three stranger and soon _another_ stranger!

Venia, another woman in her prep team, smiled encouragingly to comfort her. "You have to in order to get ready. When you do strip, we promise not to look at any private areas until necessary."

"Ooookkkkaaaayyyy," Xaimia allowed slowly, but nervously.

Once she was all stripped, the prep team began their work. Venia, Octavia and the other member of the prep team, Flavius, all clipped and polished her nails. They waxed all of the hair on her body that wasn't her eyelashes, eyebrows and the hair on her head. They washed and scrubbed her body and hair, and bleached her teeth permanently. They also used a special, new shampoo that apparently keeps your hair from ever getting oily, dry and unwashed in the arena. Apparently her blacker-than-black hair was "actually a good feature on her" and they didn't want to mess that up for potential sponsors. They also spent several minutes before her stylist came in, discussing, raving and praising over her eye colour and long, dark, curled eyelashes which will apparently make her stand out amongst the other tributes. They also said that her features were proportional and her lips were plump and pink in a perfect heart shape.

But even after they praised her for her facial and hair features, they didn't even hesitate to whisper about her body behind her back, even though she could hear them, despite being all the way across the room. It was weird. She could hear _a lot_ of things from long distances. Distances that not a normal person should hear from. Anyway, Xaimia began to get a little offended when they said that she was scrawny, thin, and was going to have no figure at all. They thought she was an underfed nine-year-old when they first met her!

Finally, it was time for her stylist to meet her, and for her prep team to make their exit. Only moments after she was alone, a young man with dark skin, maybe about 25-years-old, walked over to her after entering the steel, windowless room. This younger man's appearance was VERY unexpected. His clothes were very un-Capitol-like and his body and head looked like it was void of wigs, makeup and any plastic surgery. As he walked, he had a certain graceful saunter to his steps that you could mistaken him as if her was a bird flying low over the water.

"Hello," the man said. "I am Ciavo, your stylist." His voice was also light and gentle as well.

Xaimia nodded nervously, but slowly in confirmation to let him know that she heard him, and shifted uncomfortably. She was still naked and it made her highly uncomfortable.

Ciavo chuckled lowly and smiled. "Would you like to put back on your robe? I bet you feel very uncomfortable in the room with me while your naked."

Xaimia nodded vigorously now and took the robe that Ciavo handed her eagerly and covered herself so no unnecessary skin was showing.

"I think that you are going to be an interesting tribute this year," was all Ciavo said as he surveyed the small girl, pacing quietly in the room. "You do not look like anyone else in Panem. Well, everything but your hair at least. Your hair colour looks like you are from the Seam or District Eleven, but your unusually pale skin, your facial features and your extraordinary eyes are what sets you apart. Also the fact that all of the tributes this year besides you are no younger than 15," he added after a second. "The boy, Salco Crank, is too cocky. I expect he will not make it to the final five, no matter how much _physical_ training he has had."

"And what will that do to help me?" Xaimia asked him, not following.

"I want you to be remembered. I already know you _can_ be. Now we just have to turn that into something greater. Out of these five years of Hunger Games we have had since the Capitol took over again, we have had two other victors from District Twelve, coincidentally, brother and sister. And I plan to have another victor coming back to me this year. My father was also a District Twelve stylist, Katniss Everdeen Mellark's stylist to be exact. Unfortunately, he was killed by President Snow II's father and former president of Panem during the Rebellion, President Snow I.

"I want to avenge my father and my father always channeled his rage and rebellion through his work. And that is what I am going to do as well. I do not want to have another fire show. It is not original. That is what my father did with Katniss, Peeta, and that is what I did with Nellia's costume and Isaiah's costume to keep the family tradition going. But I'm not going to go back to just coal. There are other things besides fire that you can make with coal. Another thing... would be diamonds." His eyes glistened in reflection of Xaimia's shimmering black hair as his eyes raked over it, as if a million thoughts were running through his head.

He then continued. "I need you not to speak a word of it to anyone; not until after the parade. Can you do that? I need this to be a surprise. Even from your mentors. Trust me."

All Xaimia could do was nod. She didn't know what else to do, but do as he says. Trust him.

* * *

**So...I hope you all enjoyed that. Next up will be the tribute parade, Xaimia's meeting with Isaiah in his room and maybe some training in there. Stay tuned! Wait, no, that was too happy. I'll just hear from you guys later in the next update.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. Only the characters that you do not recognize from the original series.**

* * *

Just two hours later, it was time for the tribute parade to begin. Every tribute was dressed in something corresponding with what their district produced and was now waiting to be lined up in their chariots to be presented to the Capitol and the rest of Panem.

The District One tributes were both dressed in dressed in expensive furs due to their District representing "luxury," but most of all, they were intimidating. Well, the male was at least. They were both tall, well, to Xaimia at least, athletic, but the male was the only one who looked like he were a threat. He looked about 18 with light hair and a permanent scowl on his face and his arms crossed over his chest. The girl on the other hand looked like she was just bored and would rather be reading a magazine than be here. She had light hair as well and she kind of reminded Xaimia of Presta Match, the girl back in Twelve who seemed to hate her.

From what Cailery had told her about District Two tributes and how they have had the most victors in the Hunger games to date, Xaimia was surprised to see that the District Two tributes this year didn't look that impressive. The girl looked only sixteen and the boy, seventeen. They were both dressed in ancient Roman armor which helped to make them look better, but not by a lot. Both were a little on the less-athletic side and they didn't look as confident as the District One tributes did, but they were still intimidating enough because they were Careers and breathed more confidence than about half the tributes this year. Xaimia made a note to watch out for them, _and_ the District One tributes. Never judge a book by its cover.

But the ones from Three, thought, _really_ caught Xaimia's eye. They weren't the most attractive, like the ones from District One, but they weren't ugly. Both had caramel coloured hair, eyes and skin, and were both around the age of sixteen. Both of them were dressed in metallic costumes with certain detailing that reminded Xaimia of technology. That _really_ interested her. They seemed to remind her of herself; or at least what other people say she is like: shy, yet out-there if needed. She decided that if neither of them or herself were killed off by the time she could talk to them, she might ask to form an alliance with them. they seemed calm enough that they wouldn't scare her like the Careers slightly do.

There were no interesting tributes from Four, Five, Six, Eight, Nine, Ten or Eleven. They were all the same: older than her, but still cowering in the presence of the Careers. The only other District that stood out to Xaimia were the ones from Seven. At least the girl did. She kind of reminded Xaimia of the Careers, with her hardening glare, arms crossed over her chest and face and short, shoulder length medium brown hair whipping around at anyone who looked like they might kill her before the Games even begun. Xaimia couldn't blame her though. She was dressed up like a tree with the leaves, trunk and all, and didn't seem to happy about it. The only thing was, all of that made Xaimia think she was _not_ like a Career. From watching the other Reaping tapes from that day on the train ride to Capitol, Xaimia knew that girl was the second youngest competitor in the competition, being the only one fourteen years old. Everyone else was sixteen or older besides Xaimia herself. She didn't know her name though. She didn't pay attention to _any_ of the other tributes names. She was just calculating in her mind the intimidating factor on a scale of one to ten and how well they could do in a fight as well as their chances of winning. But all that wouldn't matter once they were in the training rooms and she knew their scores.

"Just don't mess up. I don't want you to make me look bad," Salco came up to her in his greyish-silver costume that made him look like a Greek god as he scanned the parade preparation room of the other tributes. Both of their costumes were very similar, like the other tributes were to their district partners. District Twelve's costumes, like Ciavo had said, were diamond related. Xaimia's was a floor length silvery-grey one-strapped dress that was flowy at the bottom and effortless to walk in. The top of the dress was layered in light pieces of silver fabric. At the top of her hair which was let down for the parade, she was wearing a type of round-pointed silvery hairpiece that kind of looked like a jack in a game of the "jacks." Knowing that her shoes weren't going to be shown at all in this dress, even with heels, Xaimia decided to go barefoot, like Salco who wasn't wearing expensive grey dress shoes like expected in the parade, but barefoot as well, even though he was reluctant about that. Salco's stylist coordinated with Ciavo like all corresponding District stylists do and she used the same colors, but in a different type of clothing. Salco wasn't wearing a shirt, but his chest and torso were glittered in light glitter, as was Xaimia, but not to the crazy extent of the Capitol fashion. His pants were loose and silvery like Xaimia's fabric and that was basically all he was wearing. Xaimia couldn't deny that he was very good looking, but his ugly, loud, cocky personality crushed all of that.

They both stepped on their chariot when Effie ordered them and then they were off to be shown to all of Panem like toys on display.

"Look at that!" Ceaser Flickerman commented. "All of these costumes, the same every year, yet thee tributes can pull them off very well!"

"Definitely!" Claudius Templesmith agreed. "I just wish they-hold on! What is that!" He was pointing to the chariot way behind all of the other ones: the one that belonged to district Twelve; it's tributes shimmering in lingering diamond dust in all it's glory. The glimmering diamond dust was encasing Xaimia and Salco all around them, like bees attracted to a beehive. The diamond dust was shining in all different directions, outshining any other chariot, literally. It must of looked ten times better than Xaimia actually felt. And while Salco was basking in all of the attention he was gaining by smiling, waving and shooting several of the Capitol women winks, Xaimia was doing the exact opposite. They began cheering for her and Salco, but when she heard her name, she winced. She didn't like this attention, but she tried to wave and give shy smiles to the more sympathetic looking Capitol residents.

"I see them!" Ceaser exclaimed. "I think we have yet another potential show stopped, don't you think?!"

The crowd roared in agreement and other tributes, mainly the Careers were glaring heavily at them But they finally died down when President Snow walked onto the podium and called for silence. "Welcome, welcome. Thank you tributes. I welcome you to the 82nd Annual Hunger Games! We honor you for you strength and courage. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favour!"

The cheering commenced, but President Snow did not step down. His eyes scanned the crowd quickly, but his gaze immediately landed on Xaimia when he was glancing over the tributes. Her eyes widened slightly when she realized this then his eyes narrowed considerably. His eyes then traveled all around her face, like he was searching for something. There was a flash of something in his expression. Then, in less than a second, it was gone, and the attention of the president was held elsewhere. And his gaze never swept across Xaimia for the rest of the parade.

_Weird_, Xaimia thought.

* * *

"You guys will definitely be the talk of the Games this time around, don't you think?!" Ciavo praised Salco and Xaimia when they got back up to their penthouse, meeting Effie, Graega (Salco's stylist), and the rest of the District 12 mentors went they got up there.

"You definitely made an impression," Katniss told them.

"The diamonds were definitely original. You've outdone yourself," Peeta added while clapping him on the back and shaking his hand.

"Thank you," Ciavo told them and walked toward Xaimia. He gently grasped her chin and said, "I just hope it all pays off."

* * *

All through dinner, Peeta, Katniss, Haymitch, Nellia and Salco talked strategy inside and outside the Games with Effie, Ciavo and Graega. But as they did that, they tried to include Xaimia in the strategy talks, but she couldn't seem to stay focused. She didn't know what to do. Isaiah practically ordered her to meet him in his room. He was one of her mentors, so she couldn't exactly refuse, but she didn't know anything about him! She couldn't even tell anything about his expression because it was all so stone cold and glaring! She looked over at him, to try to get _something_ out of him, but alas, no avail. The only thing was, he was staring at _her!_ It wasn't like a creepy stare though. It was a weird stare as though he could tell something was off about her. Like he could stare inside of her soul.

A flash. That was what she saw. She whipped her head behind her that was facing a large window that took up the whole penthouse wall. But nothing happened, or at least no one _else_ saw what happened, until a second later when everyone else saw that flash.

There it was again! No, it wasn't the flash from the window, it was something else. "Someone get the glass! Quick!" Xaimia pointed out.

Everyone whipped their heads to where she was pointing on the table, but nothing was there. Until they heard a crash a second later. It was Effie's glass spilling out of her hands and her wine spilling onto the table.

While everyone was cleaning everything up, Isaiah just sat there, watching the girl. _She _knew_ that glass was going to spill before it actually did_, Isaiah thought as he studied the girl. _Interesting_.

* * *

Xaimia froze after she knocked on the door. _Should I go back?!_ she thought. _Why did I even knock on the door in the first place?! I do not know him!_

But it was too late. The door swung open and in one second, she was pulled inside the room with strong, but gentle force and the door was shut quickly behind her.

"Wha-?!" she began, but a hand clamped over her mouth, silencing her.

"Don't speak so loudly!" Isaiah told her after he turned on a light so they could both finally see each other.

Xaimia could feel her cheeks heat up when she realized what they were both wearing. The only Capitol sleepwear was a short, silk short and tank top set. Apparently the Capitol doesn't mind being practically naked in front of everyone. But what Isaiah was wearing was even more blush-worthy. Wearing only some plaid pajama bottoms, his top half was completely bare, showing off his physical appearance of a very fit fifteen-year-old, with his small six-pack abs and defined chest, despite only actually being thirteen-years-old.

"If anyone found out you are in here, let alone _why_ you are in here, we _both_ are going to be in heaps of trouble," Isaiah began quietly.

"Why did you ask me to come into your room anyway?" Xaimia asked warily, crossing her arms over her chest to cover herself.

"I'm going to help you win these Games," he answered simply.

Xaimia scrunched her eyebrows, and spoke confusedly, but shyly and quietly like she normally was. "Aren't you suppose to be do that in the first place?"

Isaiah kept his face as neutral as ever. "Yes, but I want to help _only _you. I asked you to come here because if anyone else ever knew that I want to make sure you win and not try to help Crank, I could be another Seneca Crane."

Xaimia didn't know who Seneca Crane was, but she ignored it and asked her next question. "Why do you not want to help Salco as well?"

He then rolled his eyes and glared at Xaimia, but the glare wasn't meant for her and he hoped she knew that too. He was just thinking about Salco and his face automatically changed into that expression. "Since he is an egotistical, offensive-only, cocky, Career-wanna-bee, I do not really fancy helping him. Also, the fact that he will not take into account any of the advice I have graced upon him and just chose to ignore me."

Xaimia snorted at his bitterness then quickly turned away as she blushed when he snapped his head up after she snorted. "But _why_ do you want to help me?" Xaimia asked. "I'm probably going to get killed in the bloodbath anyway!"

Isaiah looked at Xaimia like he was thinking intently about something, like he was searching for something in her expression. "Tell me, do you think these Games are fair and good? Do you find the way things are in the Districts a good way to live? To have to worry about possibly dying of starvation and having no freedom?"

Xaimia looked at him disbelievingly. "Is that even a question? I've only lived in District Twelve for a month and _I_ even know that the Hunger Games are stupid, idiotic, barbaric and irrational! I think that everyone should have freedom and not to be controlled by a terrible so called "government" when it is really just a dictatorship! And like I said before, I am not going to kill anyone, so if that is part of your plan? Forget it."

Isaiah glaring demeanor slipped for a moment to show an impressed look; but he quickly masked it again. Nevertheless, he was amazed how this shy girl could say all that and mean so much, despite only being a District Twelve citizen for only a matter of weeks. And where she even came from? He didn't know. But he was glad she came when she did, or he would probably only have his family and a few other people to share his views on the Games while he was being forced to stay in the Capitol until after the Games.

"I'm not going to make you do anything that you do not want to do, but you are going to trust me," he said and paused for her confirmation. When she finally nodded, he continued. "From what you just ranted, that is one reason why I want to help you. Another is because you're different."

Xaimia shot him a confused look and that is when Isaiah knew her was to continue.

"Your nature, how you are choosing not to kill someone and not hearing a word against it. It's foreign from anything else I have ever heard from a tribute in Panem. You think that you are probably going to die, but you are not giving up just yet. I admire that. I also know that you saw Effie's drink was going to spill before it actually did." Isaiah now was wearing a triumphant look on his face because Xaimia shot her head up when he said that last sentence.

"What? What makes you think that?" Xaimia inquired, her bright indigo eyes guarded and herself guarded as well because she didn't know how he could figure that out.

Isaiah chuckled. "Call me...intuitive, but I saw your eyes. They were moving back and forth rapidly as if you knew what was going to happen and your eyes also appear like they are calculating numerous things at once. You're not normal Katon."

"I guess," Xaimia whispered slowly, but quickly added, "But what does that help anything? I mean, so what? I can see a glass falling over and tell people to pick it up. Big whoop."

"In the arena, if a weapon, someone, or some_thing_ is coming after you, you could deflect it, dodge it, or attack before any other tribute knows what is happening. If the time comes in the arena, you will be happy that I helped you, but only if you accept my help," Isaiah concluded, both of them knowing he was right.

"Fine," Xaimia agreed and held out her hand to shake his to seal the deal when she was outside his door.

He just stared at it and whatever emotions he was letting Xaimia see in Isaiah's room were concealed within a millisecond and his cold expression was placed upon his face once more. "We are not going to be friends, if that's what you're thinking. I'm your mentor, your trainer, nothing more," he snapped. "Just be ready for your private training with me after dinner in the training room tomorrow, once everyone else has left." With that, he shut the door in her face without letting her respond.

* * *

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